Pusa lobs graft charge at Rio

H.CHISHI

Kohima, April 2: With exactly a week to go for the Lok Sabha polls in Nagaland on April 9, the Congress today intensified its campaign for the state’s lone seat with a diatribe against the Naga People’s Front and the BJP and corruption as his primary plank.

At Longleng, he criticised chief minister Neiphiu Rio, who is the NPF candidate for the parliamentary seat, for bad governance. He said the state government had not been able to pay the salaries of government teachers for the past couples of months, had not regularised government employees despite assurances, had given backdoor appointments to thousands of people, passed a resolution against 33 per cent reservation for women in the Assembly and rampantly misused central flagship programmes.

Pusa also castigated former Lok Sabha MP C.M. Chang and Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi, both of the NPF, for siphoning of public funds. He said documents obtained through RTI had revealed that from 2009-2013, the two MPs had grossly misused MP local area development funds. He alleged that the duo had withdrawn funds without implementing any project, leaving most of the district untouched by MP local area development schemes.

He highlighted Congress schemes and promises such as 100-crore jobs for educated unemployed, empowerment of women, healthcare and education for all, bank account for all and a soft loan upto Rs 1 lakh, especially for women.

Addressing a huge rally at Mokokchung, Pusa said it was a district inhabited not only by pioneers of Christianity but also by powerful minds who had helped to shape the destiny of the Naga people.

Saying that Election 2014 was a fight between secular and communal forces, divisive and inclusive politics, fascist and democratic organisations, he asked the people to defeat the NPF, which had joined hands with the BJP and vote for the Congress which is fighting for the protection and larger interest of the minorities in India.

He assured the electorate of equal distribution of funds and inclusive development if voted for. He expressed confidence that the UPA would return to power with a thumping majority. He asked the people not to be carried away by false propaganda unleashed by the BJP and the NPF.

Z. Lohe, former Speaker and former adviser to Rio, also spoke at the rallies. He said Rio was trying to run away from the state because of the rampant corruption that he had created.